09-Another Game
by Chronic Guardian
Summary: [Another Day] When a mysterious ninja kid decides Shooter Dan and his Slammurai must go down, it brings to mind some big questions of just what this game is about. Heavily populated with OCs from Hybrid/Mixed Feelings. For X. [Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit]


**09-Another Game**

By Chronic Guardian

 **Author's Note:** **Written for Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit [week 9:The First Experience/The You I Knew]. Dedicated to Hyoxjnn, his fantastic wit, and all he has done for the TWEWY fandom by introducing us to the brilliant "X Days" saga. We miss you, X. Keep on slammin'.  
**

 _Wham_! Kaori winced as her game piece, a metal pin about an inch and a half wide, went skittering across the table. She regained control just fast enough to dodge before her opponent sent her barreling over the edge. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead as she narrowed her eyes. This looked so much easier when Kiryu did it...

"Nice dodge, bro!" her opponent complimented her, flashing a confident grin across his smug, ten-year-old face. "Watch out, here I come!"

Kaori wasn't sure what the feminine equivalent to "bro" was, but if she did she would have corrected him. It was humiliating enough that he was wiping the floor with her pitiful efforts so far…

Digging in as the kid set up for another charge, Kaori clenched her teeth and slapped one of the buttons the manual had said were helpful in a pinch. Immediately, her pin ejected a hammer from a side slot. She grinned in triumph. "I have you now!"

Apparently though, she spoke too soon. The hammer drifted lazily along the board as if it had gotten caught on something while the boy's pin rammed into hers full force. Her pin flipped and flew off the table, landing with a disheartening "clink" on the arcade floor. Across the table, her opponent threw his hands in the air and beamed.

"Yeah! Perfect victory!" The boy with the headband cheered. "I didn't even lose one! Better luck next time, bro!"

"Hooray for you," Kaori mumbled, forcing herself to smile. It would be immature to lose her temper at a ten-year-old…

"Hold up, bro!" the kid ordered as Kaori attempted to sidle away. "I won!"

Kaori gave a confused look before holding her hands up at chest level and wiggling her fingers. "Yay?" What did he want? A trophy? He probably already had a stash of those at home, judging from how he played.

The kid shook his head and held out a hand expectantly. "You owe me a pin, bro!"  
"Oh, right..." Kaori grimaced and scratched at the back of her head. She'd sort of been hoping he'd forget about that. Scrambling through her purse, she came up with a handful of what she'd managed to scavenge from coworkers and negligent customers. She picked one at random and placed it in the palm of his totally-cosmetic bicycle glove. "Congrats."

The kid's smile returned full force as he clenched the pin to his chest like a precious treasure. "Thanks! Come play again sometime, huh?"

"Yeah…" Kaori sighed and tried to think of what would possess her to willingly undergo such torture. "I'll think about it." _Or not_.

With her official business of trying to break into Tin-Pin finished, Kaori ran a hand through her short, dark hair and walked out with what little dignity she had left. Maybe she would have to adjust those plans for rising to the top and meeting that legendary dream boy she saw all over the magazines and live streams...

She was halfway across the street when something snagged her elbow and started dragging her like a kite. Kaori squealed and did a wild sweep of her surroundings as she desperately tried to understand what was going on. The next thing she knew, she was on the opposite sidewalk teetering for balance and another kid about her nemesis' size was standing in front of her with his hands on his hips. He was wearing mock ninja gear, complete with a pair of mismatched (and untied) sneakers and a ski mask concealing everything but his flashing brown eyes and, oddly enough, his mouth.

Kaori could only imagine how sweaty the look was making him in the current weather.

"Heya," the child said with as much machisimo as his ten-year-old voice would allow. His wide, crazed eyes gave her an uncomfortable once over. "I saw you lose to Shooter," the boy explained. "That's rough."

"A-and you are?" Kaori managed as her head stopped spinning. Stars were still dancing in front of her face though, so she doubled over to wait until that cleared away.

The kid followed her example and squatted to her level. "Hmph… I'm nothin' special," he told her in a voice that clearly said he wanted her to think the exact opposite. "Just someone who wants to see the ol' Slammurai King get dethroned. Revolutions ain't easy though. I'm gonna need some help if we're gonna stand a chance against Shooter and his gang!"

"He's in a gang?" Kaori asked. Somehow, the idea fit. She could see the red-headbanded terror rolling back his sleeves to reveal yakuza tattoos while running up a tin-pin racket.

"Yeah!" her new acquaintance confirmed with an eager nod. "They call themselves the 'Kindred Spirits'! Isn't that lame? It's not even a cool gang name! We gotta take 'em down!"

"Yeah!" Kaori agreed. "Someone's gotta wipe that smug little… wait a minute. What are we doing? I-I mean, who is 'we'? Did I sign something by accident again?" She was still hunting down all the _Fanime_ magazine subscriptions she had to cancel that were supposedly in her name. Had this kid hacked her phone or something?

"'WE' are the 'super-explosive-nuclear-powered-atomic-intense-shinobi-slammers'!" the kid explained, clapping her shoulder. "Call us the 'SENPAISS' though, only members are allowed to know what it really means!"

"Oh...huh," Kaori frowned and raised herself to her feet. What exactly had she gotten herself into? Putting one hand to her forehead, she tried to verbalize the general gist of it all. "And our mission is to beat the kid with the headband?" She could get behind that part of it, at least.

"Yeah, Shooter the Slammurai King," her acquaintance nodded. "He's my nemesis! So, whatcha say? Will you join the SENPAISS and meet me at our secret ramen base?"

Kaori perked up. "Did you say 'secret ramen base'?" That didn't sound too bad. Heck, she could go for a bowl of ramen after loosing to that smug little monster. "You got directions?"

"Yep!" the kid took a wide stance and grinned up at her. "Meet me in Dogenzaka! Watch out though, I'll have to go change so our enemies don't recognize me! Look for a super-cool guy with spiky red hair, okay?!"

"Spiky red hair, got it," Kaori said. She extended a fist and raised an eyebrow, "See ya there?"

The kid gave an enthusiastic punch that probably passed for a fist bump in his book before turning to scurry off with his arms trailing behind him. Kaori watched him go while gingerly rubbing her knuckles. Some part of her deep down inside was slowly coming to the conclusion that maybe this was a bad idea.

The rest of her said to book it to Dogenzaka. Secret Ramen Bases didn't find themselves.

-o-0-o-

"Heya, lady!"

Kaori whirled around, trying to spot the boisterous ten-year old in the Dogenzaka crowds. It wasn't until he grabbed her sleeve and she gave a high-pitched yelp that she realized he was standing right beside her.

True to his own description, the kid had a mop of spiky red hair fit to make a generic Shonen manga hero proud. Even without his ninja garb, there was still something oddly stereotypical about his self-presentation. Like… he believed with his heart and soul that he was the hero of some quest for justice.

"Cmon, we got work to do!" the boy exclaimed dragging her up the sidewalk as they closed in on the promised ramen base. Kaori followed along, prompted by her stomach. Hopefully this wasn't just some big hoax. She'd spent her pay check on tin-pin accessories, so she was counting on the kid coming through for her.

Much to her surprise, they ducked inside the doors of the ultra-edgy, one-of-a-kind, so-popular-they-charged-through-the-nose, Shadow Ramen, a.k.a: the hottest place on the block. Unfortunately, that probably ruled out the possibility that they were getting their ramen for free, or even that the kid would buy her a bowl. Her flame-haired escort gave the guy at the counter a quick salute and tongue click in greeting. The cashier just blinked before going back to the next customer in line.

"The others should be in here," the boy muttered. Kaori had to wonder if that was directed to her or himself. "Look out for a girl who likes candy 'n a big shaggy guy."

The image of a lumbering homeless man sitting by a candy-cane maid forced its way into Kaori's mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake it out. The kid probably hadn't meant that…

"Poko-kun? Hey! Over here!"

Kaori tried to look over the various tables in the restaurant to see who was shouting before she was again dragged along by her new friend and practically thrown into a chair. Across from her, a man with shaggy silver hair and sunken eyes offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry," he said, offering a hand. "Pokoni can be like that."

"Hsst!" the red headed boy hissed at them, a disapproving frown plastered on his face. "Hey, that's Ferocious Flame to you, Mount Stalwart!"

Next to the sunken eyed man, a junior high girl with died blonde hair and a wonky fashion sense giggled into her hands. "Yeah, you gotta play by the rules Mr. Ghetto!"

"That goes for you too, Swift Wind!" the red haired boy insisted, pointing an accusing finger at the girl. "If the SENPAISS are gonna take on the Kindred Spirits, we can't let anyone know our true identities!"

"Aww… But that doesn't sound cute enough!" the girl whined. "Can't I at least be Swifty Windy?"

"Nuh-uh! We can't violate the SENPAISS Tin-Pinja code of honor," Ferocious Fire-hair said solemnly.

"Let her have it, Flame," Mount Shaggy put in, giving a casual hand wave. "It could count as a double misnomer."

"What?" Flame (apparently that was what they were calling him now) tilted his head to the side for a moment before his wide eyes got wider. "Hey! You're right! Nice thinkin' Windy! Now they won't even know your _secret_ identity!"

"Speaking of identities," Shaggy said, giving Kaori a look. "Who might this be?"

"Oh, right!" Flame grinned and puffed up his chest. "Honored members of the SENPAISS, allow me to present our missing fourth Tin-Pinja warrior: Hushed Wood!"

"Uh… hi?" Kaori gave a small wave as attention turned to her and active responses were again required. "I'm Ka—" She stopped short as she remembered Flame's big stink about using code names. "I mean… I'm Wood. Er, Hush? Uh… how does this work?"

"She's here to help us beat Shooter, the Slammurai King and sworn enemy of the SENPAISS!" Flame explained for her. "She can be our secret weapon!"

"Oh, like, WOW!" Windy giggled and clapped her hands. "So she's like, super good then?"

"Hmm," Shaggy stroked his chin and raised an eyebrow. "maybe a demonstration is in order."

"H-hey, wait a minute!" Kaori threw up her hands. Why was _she_ the secret weapon? Couldn't someone else do it?

"Oh, come _on_ , Flame," a new voice chuckled, coming up behind Kaori. "She's going to have to have a lot more training if that's what you'll use her for in the final showdown."

Kaori automatically stiffened as a crawling sensation ran down her spine. Fighting for control, she slowly turned her head to watch as a teenage boy dressed in some sort of cloak-and-domino-mask get up pulled out the chair next to her before sitting down.

"Hello there," he said, giving her a friendly smile as he offered a hand. Kaori weakly grasped it and tried to return the expression. "You don't look too enthused about all this, Hush. Would a bowl of ramen cheer you up?"

"S-senpai?!" Flame blurted out, actually looking flustered for once. "When did you get here?!"

"I heard you were going to try and take on the Spirits," the very nicely dressed boy replied smoothly. He was quickly becoming Kaori's favorite person at the table, even if he was dressed like a cosplayer. "You can't do that with only four people, you know, it wouldn't be a proper duel."

"By that logic, we can't do it with five either," the sunken eyed Mount murmured, crossing his arms as a wistful expression passed over his face. "We'll need one more member to make it even."

Windy frowned at the comment and held up a hand so she could count on her fingers. "Red, Pink, Yellow, Green, Black-N-Blue..." She stopped and quietly recounted, as if to make sure she wasn't missing someone already.

"Just Blue now," the Mount corrected the bubbly girl. "Black was officially accepted back earlier this year. Not to mention, Dr. Pin..."

"Which one?" the new comer to the table asked, running his fingers through the blond waves coming off his head. He somehow managed to look utterly poised and comfortably casual at the same time while doing it.

"Junior," the Mount provided. "It would take the end of Tin-Pin itself to call Senior back to the field."

"Perhaps," the new boy allowed. He steepled his fingers and glanced towards the restaurant's front windows before looking back at his colleagues. "At any rate, I'd rather we leave the old Ultimate Eden out of this. Any chance of recruiting the cosmic twins?"

"Umm..." Kaori finally worked up the courage to raise her hand and interrupt the proceedings. "Sorry but… who's Eden?"

"He is, now, but it wasn't always that way," Flame said, giving her a frown that said he was disappointed in her lack of respect. "Senpai used to be Visionary Blend, sidekick to a girl so good at Tin-Pin she'd make Shooter's kaiser slam backwards if he even tried to stare her in the eyes! But then, one day—"

"Please," Senpai cut in, putting up his hands in a calming gesture. "You're over dramatizing it. Basically, she got tired of playing against people who only played for the title so she passed it to me and went underground. Pin-Heads Weekly has been trying to force her out of hiding for an interview, but in the meantime they've settled for tracking me."

"Which is why you're dressed in that ridiculous outfit," the Mount concluded for him.

Senpai shrugged in return. "It worked, didn't it? To the outside world, Rueban Kiryu wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like this."

"Wait..." Kaori felt her eyes widen as her jaw dropped. "RUEBAN KI-MRPHH!?"

Immediately, both Windy and Flame slapped their hands over her mouth and sternly shushed her. It was too late though, heads started to turn towards their table and Eden—no, THE Rueban Kiryu—sighed as he got to his feet.

"Oh dear… Well, it's been fun, Flame," Rueban-freaking-Kiryu said, removing his mask and cape. Kaori inhaled sharply against the hands covering her mouth as he tossed his blond hair and offered a tired smile in Flame's direction. She gladly intercepted it. "I guess these won't be helping anymore. Try not to get into too much trouble without me, 'kay?"

Kaori had just enough time to watch him turn and melt through the crowds before her eyelids fluttered closed. She couldn't believe it. She'd just met Rueban Kiryu.

-o-0-o-

"So… when are we meeting up with Kiryu-kun again?" Kaori asked Mount Shaggy for the umpteenth time. He and Swifty were walking her home from all the Shadow Ramen shenanigans. Flame had apparently split in the confusion after Kiryu's big reveal.

"You mean Eden?" Swifty corrected, giving her closest approximation of a sly smirk. To Kaori, it came across more as a barely-suppressed giggle. "Why? Is there something special about him?"

"What? Special? Him?" Kaori blushed a bright red and hunched her shoulders in embarrassment. "Uh… to me, or just in general?"

"In general, he's a big name Slammer who attends tournament slam-offs all over the country," Mount Shaggy supplied for her. "He has a win-loss percentage of ninety-seven percent and currently receives sponsorships from half of the major pin distributors. He's credited with popularizing the premium Pegaso line and, ironically, bringing about a resurgence in Mus Rattus models for high-stakes play. He has literally played on every board against every name in the industry. The only player his age with a higher national ranking is the original Eden, and she went into retirement a year ago."

"Uh… right!" Kaori nodded. Personally, she would've just said that he looked super cute in his magazine photo shoots, but Shaggy seemed to sum up the general gist of it. Of course, Kiryu looked a lot older in those shoots. In person, he looked closer to sixteen.

"And to you personally?" Shaggy prompted patiently after a moment of walking.

"Oh, uh, ahahah…." Kaori scratched at the back of her head and tried to make her laugh sound natural. "I just… umm..."

"You think he's cute too, huh?" Swifty said with a wink.

Kaori thought about denying it for a second, but in the end she decided the truth would probably come out sooner or later. Hanging her head, she meekly admitted, "...Well, yeah, that too, but it's not just that."

"Heh! Don't worry," Swifty stood on tip-toe to give her an affectionate head pat. "I have a sister who's kinda like you. Like… not like she thinks Rue's cute, but like, she got into tin-pin because of a boy. Oh! I mean, man. The Prince counts as a man, right, Mr. Ghetto?"

"That seems to be the general consensus," Shaggy agreed. "I haven't checked personally."

"Yeah, well—wait, whaaaat?!"

"Sorry, I worded that wrong. I meant: I have no idea who you're talking about."

Kaori tried to cover her smile as a laugh escaped her lips. "How do you not know about The Prince?"

" _He_ says it's because it's not important," Swifty explained, jerking a thumb towards her friend. "I say it's because Mr. Ghetto's an engineering nerd."

"So, pretty much the same thing then," Shaggy tagged on. "If he doesn't have anything to do with the cutting edge of Tin-Pin technologies, I don't really follow it much."

"Oh, you're a Tin-Pin engineer?" Kaori widened her eyes and leaned back a little. She hadn't thought Tin-Pin really needed engineers. Of course, there were the whammy mechanics, and the kaiser slammers, and… well, now that she was thinking about it, the whole thing seemed a lot more complex.

"Yep," Shaggy nodded, flicking his silver shag forward. "And, as an old friend of mine might say, that's going to be the key variable in our victory equation."

There was a beat of silence while Kaori tried to figure out what the sunken-eyed man meant by that. It didn't take long before Swifty spoke up for her. "So… that's gonna help how, exactly?"

Shaggy gave them a secretive smile. "Are you forgetting what Flame said? Hush here is going to be our secret weapon. If she's going to stand a chance against Shooter, she'll need all the help she can get."

"Ah...hehehe…." Kaori forced herself to reflect Shaggy's expression as she again scratched at the back of her head. Well, at least she wasn't doing this alone…

-o-0-o-

Kaori was just getting off of work the next day when a young man stopped her at the door. He wore a Hawaiian shirt with the top three buttons undone, along with baggy cargo shorts and flip flops. Essentially, dressed like a beach bum without a beach to bum at. She couldn't get a good look at the guy's face, he'd covered most of it with giant aviator sunglasses and a striped fedora, but the moment he started speaking she knew who he was.

"Hey again, Hush," living-off-the-page Rueban Kiryu greeted her, offering a dashing smile. "Mind taking a little field trip today?"

Kaori stared and tried to gulp down her inner fangirl. "Y-you know where I work?" she managed to say. Really, if it were anyone else, she'd be kind of creeped out by that. Seeing as it was the one true star of Tin-Pin, however…

Rueban "the fabulous" Kiryu gave a non-committal shrug and started walking. Naturally, Kaori followed. A few steps out the door, he chuckled to himself and Kaori blushed. "My parents own a pretty big share of the Outback Cafe," he explained, gesturing back to her place of work. "That, and they personally know the manager, Mrs. Rikamizu. With those resources at my disposal, finding you was actually pretty easy, even without a name."

"Oh, you don't know my name?" Kaori tilted her head and pointed a finger to her face. "It's—"

"Kaori, I know," the apparently omnipotent Rueban Kiryu put in for her. "Mrs. Rikamizu thinks you're a good worker, by the way."

"Oh, uh, umm… Thanks!" It vaguely occurred to Kaori that she was probably making a fool of herself, but that didn't stop her from basking in the praise. She only partially minded it when real-deal Rueban Kiryu cleared his throat and continued on.

"Anyway, I decided a few lessons are in order if we're going to make you a secret weapon. Care to join me?"

"Down at Tipsy Tose?" Kaori tried not to balk. "What if that Shooter kid sees us?"

"No, silly," Rueban Kiryu, the light of all things grand and mysterious, smiled and made a playful flick at her shoulder. Kaori felt her heartbeat skip on the contact. "At my house. Mr. Tezano, or, 'Mount Stalwart', made it on commission."

"Commissioned by your parents?"

"No, by my sponsors," he corrected. Kaori couldn't be sure, but she thought there was a hint of disappointment in his voice. "To tell you the truth, it wasn't originally meant for me."

Kaori frowned and tried to think of someone people would rather sponsor besides the Ultimate Eden.

Then she realized the infinitely tactful Rueban Kiryu hadn't always been the Ultimate Eden.

"...It was for her, huh?" Kaori said softly.

There was a moment of breaking reality as Rueban Kiryu seemed to become just-Rueban and he heaved a wistful sigh. They stopped walking forward. Soon, it was only the sounds of the crowd and the wind blowing over the streets as the flow of Shibuya washed over and around their sacred bubble, but never through.

Finally, just-Rueban turned and gave another smile. "Don't worry about it," he said simply. "She'd want it played on, anyway."

-o-0-o-

When they arrived at the Kiryu family residence, Rueban Kiryu had regained his majestic aura and Kaori was again in humble reverence. It almost felt like entering a temple. Everything was freshly cleaned and there was a soft, demure scent in the air that seemed to hush all the noise of the streets. They ascended to a personal arcade and Rueban excused himself to change into something more comfortable.

That left Kaori to explore the room on her own. An initial search found vast collections of Pin-Heads Weekly issues as well as devoted guide books. Checking the spines, she found that most of them were actually written by Rueban. Along the walls were his pin collections. Kaori couldn't tell how they were organized, but they looked so nicely arranged that she couldn't help but feel there was a rhyme and reason to the treasure trove, even if she couldn't figure it out.

She was still studying the awe-inspiring pin assemblage of Rueban Kiryu when the young man returned, wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and a primly pressed suit jacket. Kaori raised her eyebrows at the ensemble.

"That's 'more comfortable'?"

"What can I say?" Rueban gave an easy smile and approached the pin table in the center of the room. "I prefer to be me."

Kaori pursed her lips and shrugged. _Whatever floats your boat, I guess. Not that I'm complaining…_ He _did_ happen to look pretty good in that jacket.

Then came practice. Rueban started off going easy on her, but gradually ratcheted up his difficulty as she grasped the concepts and strategies. She learned the secrets of weight and spin and how to beat someone without resorting to spamming whammies. Somehow, Rueban gave her just enough reward for her to feel like she was learning something while still schooling her ten ways past Tuesday. By the end, she was still lost compared to Rueban's absolute grasp on the art, but she was at least beginning to see the bigger picture.

"You're a fast learner," Rueban noted as she packed up to go home. "I see my Kohai knew what he was doing when he picked you."

She felt her cheeks redden, but she forced herself to respond instead of taking the compliment with awkward silence. "Heheh, umm… thanks, Eden!"

"Please," he rolled his eyes and went back to putting away his own pins. "Call me Vision."

-o-0-o-

The weeks went on with little visits and hijackings from the rest of the SENPAISS and Kaori slowly began to grow in ways of the Slammer. She frequented the Tipsy-Tose arcade during Shooter's non-regular hours and actually started to win a few rounds. When she wasn't at work or at the tables, Mt. Stalwart tricked out her pins to the legal limit and she talked girl talk with Swifty. Flame would spar with her regularly, often resulting in a crushing victory for him. However, according to him, she was catching up.

Throughout it all, Rueban continued to teach her.

"Why does he care, anyway?" she asked Swifty once. "I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything but… he could literally play with anyone he wants. Why settle for us?"

Swifty waved off the question. "That's easy. It's cuz he's using us."

"Using us?"

"To get Original Eden to come out of hiding," the younger girl explained, playing with he bleached-blonde mega curls. "If he gets us to beat Shooty's Kindred Spirits then maybe she'll, like, come back?"

"Well, yeah, but couldn't he do that with national league Slammers?"

"Oh, duh!" Swifty's confident smile turned into a frown. "Um… nevermind then. I, like, have no clue."

Personally, Kaori couldn't understand it either. Who wouldn't want to hang out with Rueban Kiryu?

-o-0-o-

"Okay, my fellow Tin-Pinjas!" Flame announced loudly after practice. "Tomorrow's the day we take on King Shooter of the Slammurai dynasty and prove to the world that we the SENPAISS are the way of the future! Now, to issue the challenge!"

Kaori blinked. "Wait… you haven't even challenged him yet?"

"Tin-Pinjas always use the element of surprise," Flame declared, looking slightly offended at her insinuation. "We gotta honor the code!"

"All right then," Mt. Stalwart murmured, taking out his phone and placing it in the middle of the group. "Do the honors, Flame."

"Right!" The fiery-haired boy enthusiastically punched in a set of numbers and the SENPAISS held their breath as a few taunting rings sounded.

Kaori shifted and looked at the other faces in the circle. "...Do you think he's ignoring us?"

Of course, that was right when Shooter decided to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Shooter Dan, otherwise known as the infamous Red Spirit!" Flame began, clenching his fist in furious passion. "We hereby summon you and your Kindred spirits to do sacred battle at Tipsy Tose arcade tomorrow to determine the fate of Shibuya!"

"Whoa! Seriously bro?" Shooter's fuzzy voice came back. He sounded excited. "This is so mysterious! Are you one of the Darklit Slammers, bro?"

Unfortunately, that wasn't exactly the response any of them had been hoping for. "What?" Flame's face reddened to match his code name. "No! We're the SENPAISS!"

Shooter's previous excitement was quickly replaced by confusion. "Huh? Who?"

"The SENPAISS!" Flame screamed at the phone, looking ready to hop up and down. "We're a secret group of Tin-Pinjas who are gonna put you and your Slammurai in your place! Prepare to get served!"

"Whoa, bro, calm down," Shooter instructed, as if talking to a child much younger than himself. "You're not supposed to trash talk until we're at the slam tables. Besides—"

"Shut up! I'm gonna smash you tomorrow! Now tell your gang an' be there or be square!"

Before Shooter could reply, Flame mashed the 'end call' button and stood seething over the phone.

"Uh…" Kaori broke the silence and weakly punched Flame in the arm. "You tell 'em, Senpai."

"So when are we telling Eden?" Swifty asked, mercifully pushing on to a new subject.

"Oh, right!" Kaori face palmed. Rueban wasn't present, and they hadn't known the showdown would be tomorrow until Flame said so today. "I'll call him."

"Tell him it's on at five!" Flame ordered, crossing his arms.

Beside him, Mt. Stalwart shifted a look. "...Does Shooter know that?"

"..."

"I'll call him too," Kaori offered. "Just give me a number. All right, Senpai?"

"Whatever…" Flame sniffed and stomped off.

Kaori exchanged a glance with her SENPAISS teammates and frowned. "Should we call this off?"

"Naw, let's go for it," Swifty sighed, looking after Flame. "Poko-kun will only get more upset if we change plans on him."

"Yeah… You're probably right." Still, Kaori couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

"Good luck then, Secret Weapon," Mt. Stalwart said. He tried to give her a reassuring smile.

Kaori just felt the full weight of the showdown fall straight on her shoulders. "Uh… thanks. Say, Stalwart, would you mind, umm...?"

"I'll make the calls," he assured her. "You should go lie down, you don't look so good."

She nodded and croaked, "Thanks." Tomorrow suddenly felt a lot closer.

-o-0-o-

Rueban was waiting for her after work again. This time he was wearing ninja gear similar to what Flame had on when Kaori first met him. He smiled as she approached and tossed a package her way. She caught it with a quiet "oof".

"It's a uniform," he explained. "Go take some time to change, I'll be waiting here."

Kaori thanked him and turned back to go lock herself in the employees' bathroom for a while. She considered just throwing the garb on over her work clothes, but the thought of all those layers didn't really sound worth it at this point. Once she'd worked her way into the outfit, she checked herself out in the mirror, just to make sure she'd done it right. Thankfully, Pokoni hadn't slipped her one of those thigh-baring kunoichi styles that were all the rage in video games these days, but that didn't entirely make up for the fact that it felt a size too small. Kaori probed at her middle and tried to convince herself that she only imagined it looked big. On the plus side, it was black, so that would probably have a slimming effect.

 _Well, it's not getting any bigger_ , Kaori thought to herself with a grimace. After carefully folding her other clothes, she emerged from the hiding place and went to go meet Rueban.

"Is it supposed to be this tight?" she asked as they started off.

"It's the only spare I could find lying around," he responded. "Sorry, we'll get one made for you after this."

"No, that's okay," Kaori protested. The thought of Rueban Kiryu spending money on her was a little much at the moment. "I just… umm."

"Don't worry, it still suits you."

"...Thank you."

They walked on in silence for a while before Kaori tried to give form to the thoughts running through her mind.

"So… did this uniform belong to—?"

"Her?" Rueban finished. "Yes. Does that make you uncomfortable? Don't worry, I had it washed first."

"You know… you're different from what I expected."

"I get that a lot."

Kaori took a slow breath. Yeah, she probably wasn't the first one to say it. He was famous. EVERYONE knew Rueban Kiryu. But… well, he was more than just a dreamy model. Sometimes, he seemed like a fairytale prince who swooped in and charmed her off her feet, but over the weeks she'd also seen another side of him. Underneath it all, Rueban Kiryu was tired and unsatisfied. There was something he was fighting towards that she could only vaguely glimpse. He was charismatic and pleasant, that part was true, but there was also a part of him that just felt… sad.

"Hey, Rueban?" Kaori said tentatively.

He looked her way, signaling that he was listening.

"Umm…" She grabbed the fabric of her trousers as her hands tightened and she forced her mouth to work. "I'll do my best out there!"

"Thank you, Hush," he answered, looking back ahead. "But I'd rather you just have fun with it."

-o-0-o-

They arrived to find everyone else, also in costume. Flame insisted that they enter the arcade in formation. Kaori was instructed to walk behind Mt. Stalwart so she'd be hidden from view, as was proper for a secret weapon. Honestly, she was just happy that she didn't have to look anywhere but forward to find out what direction she was supposed to be walking.

Their entrance was dramatic. Flame and Windy both pushed back the doors while Rueban and Mt. Stalwart marched in. Kaori made sure she was wearing her A-game pins and tried to keep in their shadow. Between her escorts' shoulders, she glimpsed Shooter waiting at one of the tables. Soon, they were marching in his direction.

"All right, bro!" Shooter greeted them. "So _you're_ the ones who called yesterday? Bro! You look even cooler than the Darklits!"

"Stop comparing us to the Darklit Slammers!" Flame demanded, stepping forward as their self-appointed spokesperson. "Today's the day the SENPAISS throw off the cloak of deception and reign supreme!"

"The SENPAISS, huh?" Kaori felt her pulse lurch as a cynical voice entered the fray, along with a boy sporting a large pair of headphones. "Is that extra 'S' really necessary?"

"Don't underestimate your opponents, Blue," someone else put in. This one sounded strangely like Rueban. "I'd hate for you to get burned out there."

"Too bad!" Flame barked. "I'mma burn you all good! Introducing: Ferocious Flame!"

Suddenly, the room fell silent. Apparently, that wasn't what he'd meant to happen. Flame had to do a meaningful throat clearing before Windy perked up and carried on the line.

"Oh! And Swifty Windy!"

"Mount Stalwart!" Boomed Stalwart, making his title sound way cooler than Kaori thought possible.

"Ultimate Eden," Rueban added smoothly, before stepping aside to que her entrance.

"And Hushed Wood!" Kaori finished, pointing a dramatic finger at their red-headbanded nemesis. "Prepare to face the power of the Tin-Pinjas!"

They were met by a soft, one-man applause from the one kid across the way who not only sounded like Rueban, but apparently looked like him too, now that Kaori had a visual.

"Bra-VO, cousin," alternate Rueban said with a patronizing smile. "Glad to see you finally found some playmates. Do your parents know you're out here like this?"

"Oh, they're vaguely aware," Rueban assured his 'cousin'. "It will probably tip them off a little more if I happen to send you home crying. Let's try to not let that happen, shall we, 'Pink'?"

"Hey, cut the cat-fight," the headphones boy interrupted. "Are we here to play Tin-Pin or not?"

"Hold on," Mount Stalwart said, holding up a hand and frowning. "Where are the rest of the Spirits?"

"We told them their assistance wouldn't be necessary."

"They split."

As the two answers came out simultaneously, Pink and Blue looked at eachother; one slightly annoyed, the other decidedly more so.

"Green, Yellow, and Black won't be coming," yet another boy said, coming up to join Shooter's gang. He was dressed similarly to Shooter, but he lacked the iconic red headband. "That's why secret weapon, 'Yammer' Orange, just joined the line up!"

Blue sighed. "Thanks, but… you really don't have to do that."

"Aw, C'mon!" Yammer curled his hands into fists and protested. "I'm ready for this, I promise!"

"Let him play!" Kaori commanded, surprising everyone including herself. "I mean..." she continued more softly. "Tin-Pin is supposed to be enjoyed by everyone, right? I think Orange deserves to be one of your Spirits."

"Yeah, bro!" Shooter exclaimed, he held up a hand for a high five towards Kaori.

Flame grabbed her arm before she could complete the maneuver.

"You think this is a game?!" the Tin-Pinja leader demanded. "This is WAR! If we win this today, our names will be passed down for ages as the greatest Tin-Pin gang who ever lived!"

"Would that be your real names, or your code names?" Pink asked, smirking down at Flame.

"Sh-Shut up!" Flame returned. "You're goin' down!"

"Yes, but only if we can arrange a proper duel," Pink pointed out with a shrug. "Without a fifth member, I'm afraid the Spirits can't do battle with you today."

"Not so fast!"

Kaori looked past the currently assembled Spirits to see a girl marching up to join them from behind. There was a determined glint in her eyes as she lowered her headphones and hugged a stuffed cat to her chest. Beside Kaori, Rueban stiffened slightly.

"I'll fight with you today, Shooter," the newcomer declared. She leveled a glare across the room and slammed a set of pins down on the table. "For the fate of Tin-Pin, and the world as we see it."

Blue was the first to break the awed silence. "...And, you are?"

"Today, I'm the White Spirit," the girl told him crisply. "But in the past..."

"Ultimate Eden," Pink identified her, cupping his chin with one hand. "Well, I must say I didn't expect to see you here today."

"Good, because I didn't come for an interview," White said. "I came to play some Tin-Pin!"

"Wait..." Windy suddenly looked ready to cry. "But… you used to be our friend! How can you—?

Flame bristled. "You're on! C'mon, SENPAISS! To victory!"

"But, she was our comrade," Mount Stalwart pointed out, shifting uncomfortably. "Can we really…?"

"We can do this," Rueban said calmly. "But only on one condition."

"Deal," Pink replied quickly. He had a smile on that made Kaori uneasy. "But only if you comply with _my_ one condition."

"Okay, time out," Blue growled. "Why are you the only one who gets to name a condition?"

"Because I'm the only one with real problems," Pink answered with a shrug. "If we win, Eden here will have to write my Pin-Heads Weekly articles for a month."

"And give me a personal rematch," Blue tagged on, still glaring.

"Done," White affirmed before Red or Orange could add anything. "Rueban?"

"You fight Hush," Rueban said simply. "Not me. That's all I'm asking."

White narrowed her eyes at Rueban. To Kaori, they looked like a tranquil, liquid brown that could just as easily melt into a storm the next instant. They were both beautiful, and terrifying.

"...I understand," the other girl said finally. "May the best team win."

The SENPAISS quietly exchanged a round of glances. Not even Flame, who was usually the loudest, seemed up to much exuberance. They were somber, serious. And in a way, that was funny. To Kaori, those were things that didn't describe Tin-Pin at all.

-o-0-o-

They were quickly paired up according to their talents. Mount Stalwart faced Orange, who was also a Pin modder, Flame took on Red, Eden engaged Pink, and Swifty Windy had the unfortunate luck of being partnered with Blue. Kaori watched as her companions fought desperately, using all they had on the field of Tin-Pin. In the end, it was draw, with her and White set to break the tie. Kaori swallowed hard and tried to wipe the sweat off her palms without seeming indelicate about it. Across the table, White quietly set out her pins and stared, as if reading into Kaori's very soul.

"Umm..." Kaori looked down at the Pin table and tried to follow the other girl's example.

"Yes?" White returned calmly. Crap. Even her voice was perfect. This was scary. The girl was like a Tin-Pin terminator gearing up to crush Kaori into the proverbial pavement. There was no way they could fight toe-to-toe, the only thing that could possibly save her now was a high-risk gambit.

"I, uh… nothing." Kaori started picking her pins off the table and replacing them with specialized models that were only good for all-or-nothing tactics. "I just… could you not stare?"

"...Sorry about that." Strangely enough, the girl actually sounded apologetic. Kaori winced. "I guess I'm just afraid."

Kaori almost choked. "Of me?"

" _For_ you," White corrected. "Why did you let yourself get dragged into this? Why do you want to beat Shooter so badly?"

"It… it's because I wanna win!" Kaori exclaimed. Her chest tightened and she could feel her pulse quickening as her thoughts went lucid. "All my life, I've just been on the sidelines. I've never been good at anything important! But now, here, I have my friends, and they've taught me so much! I can't let them down! I want to be the best! But not just for me, for them, too!"

White sighed. Perhaps Kaori was imagining it, but she sounded disappointed. "I see… well then, let's get this over with."

Kaori bit her lip and looked up as the game timer started. White had chosen a balanced deck, so the only way she would win was if she pushed the boundaries and exploited each pins' potential beyond the natural…

Wait.

Kaori stopped short as she realized White had changed her deck when she wasn't looking. There weren't any balanced pieces on the board, they were all specialists.

"Ready to go?"

Kaori clenched her teeth in a hysterical grin. "Never been better!"

 _This will not end well_.

She told herself that over and over as she traded blows with White. They were both experts in their own pins capabilities and were barely missing the crucial ring-outs by mere millimeters. Soon, it was as if both girls were in a trance, weaving across the battlefield, spinning circles around eachother one moment, then blowing away from a clash the next. Kaori was more than excited.

At first, she was just thrilled to be staying on the board. As the game wore on, she began watching her opponent's piece as much as her own as she admired White's graceful, yet simple style. She was everything and anything, untouchable yet concrete. She was no longer just playing the game, she was living through it.

 _I… understand_.

Kaori glanced up to see White's previously stoic eyes had gone to a glowing warm. There was a soft smile on the other girl's face as her hands moved fluidly across the controls. For a moment, time seemed to stand still and Kaori understood what White had been looking for earlier.

 _This feeling… this love for Tin-Pin—No, for the people who play Tin-Pin! I can see it in her eyes._

The thrill wasn't just the maneuvers, it was playing against someone. Reaching out, touching them. This was her game, her language, her world. That was what she wanted others to feel when she played Tin-Pin, that was why she quit, and that was what she was hoping for from Kaori today.

Suddenly, White simply stopped. Kaori felt the break in flow and pulled to a halt before she could knock the other girl's game piece over the edge. She took a shaky breath and realized she was sweating.

"Wanna call it a draw?" White asked. She again gave Kaori that soft, knowing smile.

"Sure," Kaori replied with a smile of her own. "I think I got what I came for."

-o-0-o-

"That was rather impressive," Rueban noted, giving her a glance as he fished noodles out of his bowl with a pair of chopsticks. He'd insisted on treating her to ramen after the event dissipated. Pokoni had sworn they would be back to finish their showdown, but after the clash with White it all felt kind of… well, concluded.

"I had fun," Kaori said, grinning as she attempted to make her noodles cooperate the way he did.

"So you understand then."

"Hmm?"

"You saw what she saw."

"Beyond the borders of my own world," Kaori murmured, looking out the window. "Yeah..."

"I'm glad you gave her that game, then."

"...Hey, Vision, does this mean…?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific, Hush."

"Um… If the mission's accomplished," she tried again, frowning as she organized her thoughts. "Does that mean we're… done?"

"Oh, I don't know," he gave her a secretive smile. "I think we'll see eachother again if you keep slamming like that."

"In the big leagues?"

He laughed. "Never. But, if you're up for it, maybe as friends."

"...I could do that."

"So you'll come play again sometime?"

"Sure," she pulled a bunch of noodles from her bowl and savored the tangled strands together. "I'm up for another game."

[fin]


End file.
